Tan-Ruharater VI
Tan-Ruharater VI (b. 905 BC) was the 147th King of Elam and 101st Emperor of Chedorlaomer reigning 880-858 BC. He was the son and successor of Hutran-tepti VII. Following the death of his father and the reunification of Sidon, Tan-Ruhurater marched to one of the frontiers of the Empire, the area which would later emerge as Ghassan, and engaged in a several month long occupation of the Kingdom of Hamath. He finally forced the King of Hamath to surrender and agree to become part of the Empire in 879 BC. Due to the relative bloodlesness of the conflict, Tan-Ruhurater erected a large victory stella celebrating the event outside of Hamath. On his return he ordered the Viceroy Sanamshimut Enzilili to lead a military expedition into the Kingdom of Kourion on Cyprus. On the way, in 878 BC, the Viceroy was murdered, probably on the orders of the Emperor who viewed him as a danger to his own stability. The second in command of the expedition, Shurri-Shamash Kurišu, the son of Viceroy Dagunir was named as the New Viceroy. Shurri-Shamash Kurišu then marched into Kourion, however he was beaten back by 877 and only managed to make significant headway in 876, capturing the King of Kourion. Kowever the Kingdom refused to surrender and chose the King's brother as the new ruler. The Emperor went to Cyprus personally to organise a final offensive against Kourion, which became a protracted siege which finally ended in 875 BC with Kourion's surrender. The captured former king of Kourion was lead into the city and restored to the throne by the Emperor, following an oath of loyalty. Shurri-Shamash Kurišu was then also named Governor of Outer Elam, a position which was held by Sanamshimut Enzilili's brother Hubanudu Enzilili. In 874 the Kingdom of Urkeš's vassals of the Kingdom of Apum and the Kingdom of Kurda were invaded by Carchemish. The King of Urkeš urged the Emperor to help him retake them, however the King of Carchemish refused. Finally, a revolt against the invasion broke out, first in Apum and then in Kurda. The Emperor refused to act at first, however in 873 he sent a force to aid rebels in repelling the Carchemish army. An agent of the Emperor met with the King of Kurda and the King of Apum and suggested neither Kingdom return to Urkeš, but instead becoming seperate Member Nations, which the Kings agreed to, under the guarantee of their protection. When the King of Urkeš learned of the elevation of Apum and Kurda to full membership status, he was enraged, however his boarders were patroled by Elamite and Babylonian soldiers and so he had no choice but to accept matters as they were. In 872 he began a further push to expand the colonies in Outer Elam and in 871 he founded the colonial city Dur-Tan-Ruhurater-Inšušinak. In 870 he invaded the Greek populated island Kingdom of Chios and forced it to submit to the Empire. In 869 he invaded the Kingdom of Tamassos, however after almost conquering it he had to return to Elam in 868 after the assassination of the Viceroy, at the hands of Hubanudu Enzilili. Hubanudu Enzilili gathered forces loyal to him and his late brother and at first proclaimed himself Viceroy, however after messengers came from Tan-Ruhurater claiming he would not recognise him, Hubanudu Enzilili then marched on Susa and proclaimed himself Emperor. King Engilsa III. of Lagash refused to recognise Hubanudu and sent a messenger to express his loyalty to the Emperor Tan-Ruhurater at Cyprus. King Meskalamdug XI of Ur was hesitant to declare himself for either Emperor, and the Kings of Bad-Tibira, Adab and Shuruppak recognised Hubanudu out of fear. When Tan-Ruhurater returned to Elam city after city surrendered to him without a fight and soon Hubanudu controlled only Susa, Samati, Amarak and Uru'aza and the smaller towns and villages inbetween, as well as Anshan ruled as a besieged enclave by his son. However he was able to maintain control of this territory, executing anyone who dared oppose him or who was found not fighting bravely enough to beat back the "usurping Emperor" Tan-Ruhurater. The Emperor struck a deal with Hubanudu's son, claiming he would spare his life and let him retain the seat of Ensi if he should assist in Hubanudu's assassination. Imbappa Hubanudu did so and formally negotiated a peace with Tan-Ruhurater after his father's death due to poisoning. Hubanudu's body was buried in a small tomb in Samati, which was permitted to bear imperial symbols and the inscription of "Hubanudu Enzilili, Emperor, Son of Pihiranu Enzilili, Viceroy". The Emperor then named Marduk-shum-ibni Kidinu, the brother of Shurri-Shamash Kurišu, as the new Viceroy. In 865 Marduk-shum-ibni Kidinu left for Tamassos on the orders of the Emperor, fighting a two year war until the surrender of Tamassos in 863. In 861 he lead an expedition to capture the Enišasi boarder state between Amurru and Byblos which had remained independent until then. After a short siege the King of Enišasi surrendered to the Emperor. In 860 following the death of Ukuk-Atta I of Haššum he attempted to put his brother Kunnam on the throne of Haššum. However Kunnam only managed to hold Haššum only until is brother's death, being chased out in favour of Ukuk-Atta's son Šusula II. Tan-Ruhurater VI died at Susa of natural causes and was succeeded by his son Igi-halki II.